Out of The Ashes
by Tenryu no hoko
Summary: Change is a constant, ever going process. It never stop, not even for a second. No matter how much you wish for it, nothing can return to the way it was. After making a potentially fatal deal with a Phoenix known as Pyris, Romeo's life will be thrown into a hell storm of change. With Fairy Tail on the brink of collapse, can Romeo pull himself and everyone he loves out of the ashes?
1. Into the Inferno

Two years.

You would think so much would change in two years, yet when you look back on it, how much has really changed? Is life really any different now than it was two years ago? Are you any different than you were two years ago? Or are you still the same? Still stuck in the same place, just in a different time?**[1]**

Not that there's anything wrong with it, necessarily. Sometimes the place you were in two years ago was a pretty good place; a place you would like to stay in, or perhaps one you'd like to return to. Maybe it was the best place in the world.

For a young boy named Romeo Conbolt, two years ago was definitely the _best_ place in the world, and one year and three-hundred-sixty-four days ago was the _worst_ place in the world.

Now take a wild fucking guess as to which one he was stuck in.

Everything had changed for him in the last two years. Then nothing changed at all.

Fairy Tail fell from grace, and now it's still falling. Many of its members were gone, and more continue to leave, albeit in less permanent ways. His father drank, now he just drinks more. His best friend stopped talking to him, now they don't speak at all.

If you were to look at a picture of the guild on the day they found out Tenrou disappeared, then at a picture of them today, the only differences you'd find would be the location and the number of people. The faces, however, remained the same.

Yes, everything has changed, and now nothing changes at all.

Even the slightest glimmers of hope always seem to fizzle out. Just once, he wished there could be something, _anything_, that could help them.

But alas, it would not be that easy. Though change came usually when one least expected it, it never came on its own. If he wanted something to be done about Fairy Tail's situation, he'd have to do it himself. He'd have to try to be the best Fairy Tail mage he could be.

However, how can he do that when the guild only ever gets a bunch of _POINTLESS _missions!?

"Why are we even here?" asked a disgruntled Romeo. At the moment, the nine-year-old was hanging upside-down from a tree branch. His bright orange scarf, affected by the forces of gravity, fell in front of his face, blocking his vision before he moved it out of the way.

The green haired woman he was speaking to, Bisca, sighed. "We were hired to guard this doorway, Romeo. You know this. _You _picked the mission," she reminded him, then went back to reloading one of her various rifles.

Said door they were sent to guard was honestly quite impressive, though Romeo would not admit this. It was a pair of large, grey stone doors, built into the side of a mountain. Several images of flaming birds were carved into it, and in the center was an azure orb.

Supposedly it led into a massive cavern, filled with the old ruins of a temple where an ancient form of fire magic was practiced. This was the main reason Romeo wanted to take the mission in the first place, but the man who gave them this mission, the mayor of the nearby town, forbade them from entering.

Which meant that he couldn't go off and study the ancient, probably kickass fire magic resting a literal five feet from him. But oh well, what can you do? Sometimes it's not about the reward, it's about helping the people. They were hired to guard this doorway, and that's what they're gonna do.

"Yeah but guard it from _what!? _We've been here for _days _and haven't seen _shit!_" Romeo threw his hands up—er, _down_—in the air, causing his legs to lose their grip on the branch. Luckily he'd already stuck his arms out, causing him to injure his left wrist rather than his head.

Bisca, and her black-haired husband, Alzack, were worried for a moment, but after seeing the boy stand back up and brushed himself off, they knew he'd be fine. "I know this is a bit… dull," spoke the female gunslinger, "but the pay is good and we need the money. Please just hold on for a little longer?"

"I don't want to '_hold on for a little longer_'!" Once again, his hands were up in the air, moving animatedly as he spoke. "This is pointless! This whole _thing _is pointless!" He said as he walked up to the stone doorway. His face reflected in the blue orb.

"Romeo!" Alzack called, "The mayor told us not to go through that door!"

Romeo groaned. "Well, too bad for him! The whole reason I'm here is behind this door, and I'll be _damned _if I don't get to see it!" He attempted to push on it, but it refused to budge. He kept pushing, but still it wouldn't move. Orange magic circles appeared at his elbows, both blasting out flames, but even their added boost didn't make moving the two stone doors any easier.

"Stop it, young man!"

Romeo boosted the power of his flame-elbows. He swore he saw the orb glow for a second.

"_Romeo Mariya_**[2]** _Conbolt!"_

'_Ugh, full name.' _Romeo groaned, dispersing his flames. "Fine." He stepped away from the door, and began walking to his tent. "But I'm going to sleep. Wake me if something ever happens."

The gun mage couple waited until the boy was in his tent before they started talking again.

"I'm worried about that boy," Bisca voiced her concern.

Alzack nodded. "It can't be easy for him. It's not easy for any of us. We lost a lot more than just Tenrou that day." He shifted his body around, suddenly feeling uncomfortable.

The vertette lowered her head. "I suppose so... but still…" She looked up at her husband, "... isn't there something we can do?"

From inside his tent, Romeo heard the whole conversation. He wrapped his pillow around his ears so he could _stop _hearing it. '_You want to know what you can do?' _he thought, shoving his eyelids together in an effort to go to sleep. '_SHUT UP ABOUT TENROU!'_

* * *

Night had fallen on the trio. Alzack took the first shift standing guard, while his wife went back to their tent to sleep. He hoped she'd wake up soon to take her shift, though. He had to agree with Romeo, there was nothing going on. It was causing him to nod off.

He was so tired that he failed to notice the campfire he'd set up earlier change color. Instead of a bright orange, it was now a light yellow color. It smelled like lavender and chamomile.

His head became heavy, and his body relaxed. A whisper of, "Three...two...one…" floated through the air, ending with a _thud _that was a bit heavier than the nearby boy would have liked.

But he couldn't focus on that now. Romeo had a mission, and he was going to complete it. If he could just learn _something_, _anything_, that could help him improve as a mage, that could help him save Fairy Tail, then it'll be worth it. He doesn't care if he gets caught, he doesn't care if he doesn't get any reward money, and he'll accept his grounding with a smile on his face, as long as he can just find _something _in these caverns.

Slowly, he parted the flaps on his tent and popped his head out. Alzack was out cold, and Bisca was still in her tent. The door was only ten feet away, but it looked more like ten miles to Romeo. He crept out of his tent, purple fire engulfing his feet and dulling the sound of his steps. Keeping a careful eye on the black-haired mage, he made his way to the door.

Left foot, right foot, left foot, right foot, left foot—

_Crack!_

The boy's eyes shot downwards to the two branches by his feet, that were most likely one until a few seconds ago. He then shifted his gaze to a hopefully sleeping mage...

"_Zzz...zzz…"_

...Who was thankfully still asleep.

Breathing a sigh of relief, Romeo continued on to his goal.

He stopped about a foot away from it. It was much less impressive at night, which was disappointing. He thought things were supposed to get cooler at night. It's what his dad said, anyway. That things are always more "fun" at night.

'_Now how do I-' _Romeo's thoughts abruptly stopped at the sight of the azure orb in the center of the door. He remembered how earlier it lit up when he used his fire magic. He wondered…

A small, orange fire burst to life in his right hand, and he carefully brought it to the orb. Just as it had before, the sphere glowed a dull blue glow. The outlines of the doors' carvings lit up as well, visible only because it was at night.

'_Alright, that seems to be doing something…' _he pondered, '_Can't exactly make the flame bigger, one of them will notice. Maybe if I make the flames hotter?' _He changed the flame in his hand from its orange color to a crimson red, which resulted in the space around him drastically growing in temperature. Sweat started to form on his body.

It _seemed_ to be working. The orb was glowing much brighter, and the outline of the flaming birds were becoming much more visible. But nothing else was happening.

He increased the heat of his flames. His muscles cramped up, and he was no longer able to see straight. His legs were at the point of collapsing. This was the problem with these flames: they were strong, but they were _too_ strong. Between their heat and their magic consumption, it made them near impossible for him to use without fainting afterwards.

But he can't stop here. If he gets caught, Alzack and Bisca will undoubtedly send him back home, and this will all be for nothing.

He had to think. He was clearly doing _something_! He just wasn't doing _enough_ of whatever that something was. And if he kept up what he was doing, he'd undoubtedly pass out. So what else could he do?

'_C'mon, Romeo, think!' _The boy slapped the sides of his head. '_What would Natsu-nii do?'_

* * *

As it would turn out, punching the orb was not a good idea.

Romeo held his now-bruised right fist in his possibly-sprained left wrist. Having the latter was bad enough, but now that he had the former, he had to physically stop himself from screaming expletives into the air.

He took a deep breath, and began to think. Clearly he wasn't getting in the _intended _way he was meant to get in, and Natsu-nii's brute-force method won't work, either. But he wasn't out of options just yet.

'_It __**is **__a pretty old temple, after all,' _the boy thought, '_Would anyone __**really **__be all that surprised if the old locks just… __**happened**_ _to get worn down?'_

Snickering, Romeo brought up his left hand and summoned a green flame. These were his **Corrosive Flames**, specifically good for melting material without burning it or even generating any heat.

The boy placed the palm with the flame in it against the split in the doorway. Jade flames worked their way up the door and to the other side, searing through any material in their way. He could hear the sound of rock cracking from within the stone doors.

Romeo increased the power of his flames. He was still on a time limit, and he intended to be in and out of there before his two guardians could even notice he's gone. Hell, maybe he can even melt the door back together when he's done? It'd ensure that no one could ever get in here again. And it's not like anyone else was using this place.

Though come to think of it, that did strike the boy as odd. Moss covered the stone doorframe and a good majority of the door itself, indicating that the doors hadn't been open for quite some time. According to the man who hired them, this place was a temple meant to house some sacred deity to the people of Flosignis. But given how far away this temple was to the actual village, and the general state the temple appeared to be in, it hardly seemed like anyone was coming here at all.

But the boy supposed that was none of his business. As long as this place housed some super-special Fire Magic he could use to help his guild, he couldn't care less how everyone else used it.

Some final cracks whispered through the doorframe before _doo-osh, _the doors inched forward. With all the muscle the child possessed in his nine-year-old body, he began to _push _the doors open more and more, the large stones slightly dragging themselves against the ground. He wedged it open just enough for him to squeeze in.

Taking a final glance at his friends to ensure they were still asleep, he snuck into the temple.

The doors closed behind him. Blue flames flickered between them, lighting up the cracks the boy made with his flames and burning them away, "healing" the door of its wounds. The ancient temple had once again sealed itself from the outside world.

However, it would not be long before that seal was broken again. Someone else planned on entering the ancient shrine, and by the gods they would find what they were looking for.

* * *

The temple was much larger than he'd initially expected. It was built much more like a labyrinth than a place of worship; there were twists and turns everywhere, traps and puzzles galore, and a whole bunch of different rooms to explore. It was like something out of a video game…

And despite the decay seen on the Temple outside, the inside of it looked brand new! The walls were shiny, the floors were spotless… even the torches were still lit!

Of course, this did put Romeo on his guard. If someone was in fact still using this temple, it meant that they could be with them at this very moment.

It also served to make Romeo feel a little guilty about breaking into this place. His conscience was kinda banking on no one really caring about this place anymore. After all, if no one was using this temple anymore, it wouldn't really be _stealing_, would it? It'd be more like... _repurposing _it.

Not that he planned on_ physically_ stealing anything, anyway. He just wanted some information on ancient fire magic, is all. Just some simple spells like how to keep your body warm in cold climates, how to blow up entire Dark Guilds with a single fireball, and how to incinerate the moon. Nothing major.

And of course, in order _for _him to even steal anything, there must first be _something for him to steal_! He'd been through a few rooms so far, but he hadn't found a thing! At least in video game mazes, there were some small treasure chests hidden around the corridors leading to the main prize. But here, there wasn't even that! At this rate, there might not even _be _a main prize at the center of this thing!

If he could even find it, that is. With all the twists and turns this place had, he'd be lucky if he could even _get out _of here by the end of it. And it's not like there were any signs saying, "Hey, ancient magic's this way, idiot," so he was S.O.L. there.

"**Well, did you expect there to be a sign?" **

"Kinda, yeah," Romeo responded. He took a few steps forward, then stopped. His eyes widened. "Uhh…" He looked around the room. "...hello…?"

…

…

…

"**Hello."**

"_AHH!" _He tried to run backwards, but ended up tripping on a rock and falling.

"**If you're gonna scream, then don't ask me to respond!" **yelled the voice.

"Wh-who are you?"

**"To you, I am friend. Which you'll need if you want to get out of here _alive_."** The voice roared like a flame that had burned since the dawn of time and will continue to burn until the end of it. "**There's someone else in this temple, someone other than me, and if you don't find me, neither of us will live to see tomorrow."**

Romeo's heart pounded. Who ever this voice was, they didn't sound like they were lying. He didn't want to die. He'd seen death, and it didn't look appealing.

The sound of footsteps echoing through the caverns pulled him from his daze.

"**Get up and go where I tell you**," demanded the voice, **"And don't worry, _she _won't be able to hear us."**

Romeo did as he was told. He stood up and began following the voice's directions

"**Continue down this hallway until you come upon the second door to the left. Go through that door, then take your...**

Following the voices instructions, Romeo found himself wandering further and further into the labyrinth. He wondered how much further in he'd have to go, and why whoever was leading him was so far in in the first place. His musings were cut short, however, when the voice screamed;

"_**HIDE!**_" An absolute terror permeated the voice as it spoke this single word.

Rome turned the corner. Quickly, he extinguished the flames he was using as a light source, and hid behind the remains of an old stone wall. The sound of footsteps drew closer.

"Now where oh where did that old codger hide you," drawled a female voice.

Romeo took a peek over the stone wall, but it was impossible for him to tell what the woman looked like in the dark. All he could tell was that she was wearing heels and had glowing gold and silver eyes.

"**You use colored flames, correct?" **asked the voice, "**Do you have any blue ones?"**

"Y-"

"**Don't speak! If you can, I want you to throw some of those flames down the corridor to the right, then you sneak up the corridor to the left. Can you do that?"**

Romeo nodded, though wasn't sure if it actually got through to the disembodied voice. He activated his dark blue flames, creating a slight chill in the air, and threw them through a crack in the wall into the nearby corridor.

"Hm?" the woman turned her head to where she thought she'd heard a noise. She grinned maliciously when she saw the faint blue glow coming from that area. "Ah, there you are."

Knowing she'd taken the bait, Romeo manipulated the blue flame to go down the hallway, causing her to follow it. Once he could no longer hear her footsteps, he let go of his control of the flame and breathed a sigh of relief.

Quickly, the boy got back up and went where the voice told him to go. He didn't know how long he'd have until the woman caught up with him, but he didn't want to wait and find out.

Soon enough he ended up in what he assumed to be the center of the temple.

It was a wide open room with very few decorations. The back wall had a rusted old katana on one side, and a beat up blue cloth (that might've been clothing at one point) on the other. Between those two objects was a faded tapestry, depicting blue, light blue, grey, white, and violet birds facing off against a large black phoenix. In the center of the room was a glowing blue crystal egg.

But there were no people.

Romeo turned his head, looking around the room. "Hello?" he called, "Mysterious Voice-san, where are you?"

"**Right here," **it answered. " **And my name is Pyris."**

"Right where, uh, Pyris?"

"**Here," **the voice spoke, drawing Romeo's attention to the center of the room. "**I wish we had time for formalities, but right now that's a luxury we can't afford. I'll just cut to the case: you came here looking for a special type of fire magic, right?"**

"Yeah," said the boy, astonished, "How did you know?"

"**Most people come here for that, though few I actually find worthy of wielding it."**

The boy shifted around. "Oh." He paused. "Do you… do you think I'm… worthy?"

"**Despite the new hole in my temple-" **Romeo winced as he heard this. "**-yes, yes I do. You seek to use my power for the good of others, not just yourself. Qualities like that are definitely of worth." **The crystal egg began to glow brighter, the energy within it leaking out into the open air.

"**Romeo, what I wish to bestow upon you is the magic of my people, of beings that are the embodiments of the elements themselves!" **Pyris' voice boomed, causing the air around them to become thinner, "**With this power, you will have a mastery over fire unlike any the world has seen for milenia! Will you, Romeo Conbolt, mage of Fairy Tail, accept the power of the Grand Fire Phoenix?"**

Romeo didn't even hesitate.

"Absolutely."

A grin could be heard in the Phoenix's voice as he said, "**Very well."**

The egg in the center of the room began to levitate. It's energy spilled forth in the form of blue flames, burning away its container and transforming itself into an ever growing inferno. It pulled everything in the room towards it, sucking in the sword, cloth, and tapestry that hung upon the wall, and preparing to suck in Romeo as well.

Romeo, meanwhile, seemed incapable of moving his body of his own accord, only capable moving towards the inferno like a meteor moves towards a planet.

A scream rang through the temple, though neither Romeo or Pyris paid attention to it. "No, no, _no, NO NO __**NO NO NO!" **_cried the female voice, her eyes widening at the sight in front of her.

She tried to stop him.

She failed.

And then the world was swallowed by flame.

* * *

**[1] It was about two years ago when I stopped posting here, and though I'd definitely say my life has gotten better in the last two years, as opposed to Romeo's getting worse, I do still sometimes ask myself this.**

**[2] I got the name from Mariya Ise, Romeo's Japanese voice actress.**

* * *

**Author's Notes**

**Hello everyone!**

**So first off, big thanks to Iket45 for beta-ing this story.**

**Now, to those who have read my Grand Phoenix of Fairy Tail, and don't know why this story is so similar to that one, let me explain: this is a remake of that story. The old one is being discontinued, and this is the new version. Many changes are being made to the story, all of which will be seen in due time.**

**And to everyone who is new here and hasn't read the original story, welcome! I'm glad that, for whatever reason, you've taken the time out of your day to read what I have written. I always love to see new readers, and I hope I can convince you to stick around.**

**And regardless of which one you are, I hope you've enjoyed the chapter! Follow if you liked it, Favorite if you loved it, and for whatever you felt about it please leave a Review. Reviews help me understand what I do well in my writing, as well as what I can improve on, so leaving one is always appreciated.**


	2. New Old Enemies

**New Old Enemies**

"-sca! Hey, Bisca! He's waking up!"

Romeo opened his eyes slowly. The light in the room burned his retinas, causing him to shield them with his arm. "Guys?" he groaned, incredibly confused about where he was.

"Romeo! You're awake!" Bisca cheered. She raced over to him, lifted him out of the bed he'd been sleeping in and pulled him close to her chest. The hug felt more like a death grip, and the boy was wondering how much longer it could go for before he ended up broken in two.

Thankfully it didn't last _too _long. Though, after seeing the look on Bisca's face after she'd set him down, he quickly realized that being broken in half might've been _merciful_ compared to the punishment he was about to receive.

"Don't you _ever _do anything like that again!" the green-haired woman shouted. Her eyes were furious, but what made Romeo feel even worse were the tears that were spilling out of them.

"I, uh, don't... don't plan on it." The boy was getting his bearings back. He was in a hospital room and judging how Alzack and Bisca reacted to him waking up, he assumed he had been comatose for some time. "How long was I out for?"

"Three days," Alzack answered, equal parts concerned, happy, and upset.

Any remaining disorientation Romeo may have had disappeared in an instant. "Three days?!"

"Yes, three days!" Bisca answered, "Do you realize just how worried we were about you?! When Alzack woke up, you weren't there, the temple door was open, and something inside the temple _EXPLODED!"_ She paced around the room, moving her hands as she listed off the events from three days prior.

"Exploded…?"

"Yes, exploded!" Bisca continued, "A big explosion from inside the temple where you were!"

"You're incredibly lucky you weren't hurt," the male gunslinger commented, his eyes stern, "What were you thinking?"

Romeo was back to being confused. "But I didn't cause any explosions! All that happened was—" His mouth locked itself up, and his head throbbed in pain. He rested his head in his hands to try and alleviate some of that pain, but it was a futile effort.

Bisca and Alzack were probably saying something to him, but the ringing in his ears drowned them out. There was something… _wrong_… here. Once Romeo's head pain subsided, he realized what it was.

"Did you guys see anyone else in there with me?"

The two gun mages glanced at each other, then looked back at the boy. "Someone else?" asked Bisca.

"Yeah, a… a woman, with heterochromia?" Romeo described.

The two gun mages glanced at each other, but said nothing, until finally;

"Romeo, there was no one else there with you," Alzack said somberly, "You… You're probably still a bit delirious. Doctor's said you had a pretty bad concussion." His voice held genuine concern, but there was something else in it too. Like he wasn't telling the whole story.

But the boy didn't catch that. "What?" Romeo asked, "Then did I just… imagine all the rest of that too?" He looked down at his hands. All the injuries he'd gotten that night were gone like they were never even there in the first place.

"Imagine what?"

The boy threw his head up. "The-!" Romeo's head throbbed again as a familiar voice spoke from within his mind;

"_**Don't say a word."**_

"What the-?" Romeo looked around the room, trying to find where the voice was coming from.

Concern crossed the female gun mages face. "Romeo, what's wrong?"

"_**Talk to me with your thoughts,"**_ it spoke again.

'_Pyris? Is that you?' _Romeo asked hopefully.

"_**It is, and you didn't imagine anything," **_answered the Phoenix

Romeo grinned and chuckled. He didn't imagine anything! Pyris really was going to teach him magic!

"_**Yes, I am. Now listen closely, because there are a few important things you should-"**_

"Ah, I see the boy's awake."

Everyone turned around to see an elderly man had entered the room without their notice. He was quite tall, easily breaking six and a half feet. He had light skin and dark red eyes, which had the occasional wrinkle around them. Part of his long, white hair was tied into a bun that was held together by two red chopsticks, and the rest freely flowed down a little past his shoulders. A long, white beard ran down from his face to about the middle of his chest. For clothes, he wore a base red coat with a dark red trim over a black shirt. Loose, dark red pants adorned his legs, and for footwear, he had a pair of dark red sandals.

"Yes, Izanagi-san. Again, we're so sorry for his actions." Bisca glared at Romeo. "Romeo, say you're sorry."

The elderly man chuckled. "Oh, don't worry about that too much. That temple was an old wreck anyway." He walked closer to Romeo, then turned back to face the Connells. "And please, call me Hisao."

Bisca's mouth hung agape. She figured he'd at least be _a little_ mad they'd destroyed the millennia-old temple that they'd been hired to protect."O-oh. Of course, Hisao."

"Thank you." The old man smiled. "I would- _aargghh!" _Hisao fell to the floor, his body collapsing on itself. He coughed into his hand, and blood gushed from out of his fingers.

"Hisao!" Alzack and Bisca called. Romeo and them rushed to the elder's side to help him, but he waved them away.

"I'm fine," he said as he stood back up, any signs of illness fading away. "Just growing a bit weak in my old age, is all. But please, do not try to help me."

"Are you sure?" Romeo asked.

"Yes, though thank you for trying." He ruffled the boy's hair. Turning to Alzack and Bisca, he said, "As I was saying, I would like to speak to Romeo in private, if I could?"

"Of course," Alzack nodded. With his wife following, he walked out of the room.

'_Way to leave me alone with a strange old man,' _Romeo thought as he watched the door close, '_I'm sure nothing bad will come of this.'_

Pyris let out a breath. "_**It may be worse than you think."**_

* * *

Once the Connells were out of the room, they closed the door behind them and walked away until they were sure Romeo couldn't hear them.

Alzack grabbed his wife's shoulders, speaking in a panicked whisper. "Bisca, there was a _corpse _in the temple!"

"Maybe it was a corpse that was just there?" Bisca reasoned, "It's an old temple. Maybe someone got stuck in there for a while?" She shrugged.

But Alzack didn't relent. "Bisca, he said there was someone else with him. There was _no one _else with him! Only a corpse! A _burnt _corpse"

"Okay," she avoided looking at her husband, "Well, does he need to know it was there?"

"I…" Alzack tilted his head down. "I suppose not…"

* * *

Meanwhile, back with Romeo and Hisao, the air had grown thick with tension. Hisao appeared outwardly calm, but the hostile aura the older man emitted completely overshadowed that appearance. Likewise, Romeo could sense an ungodly amount of anger coming where he heard Pyris speaking.

Overall, the boy was very uncomfortable with the whole situation. It was clear that the pair had some form of unresolved business with each other. Romeo simply hoped he wouldn't be caught in the crossfire.

Pyris was the first to speak, and Romeo was thankful Hisao couldn't hear him.

"_**Romeo, do not trust this man."**_

'_Why?'_

"_**He is the one who imprisoned me within that temple," **_the Phoenix answered solemnly, "_**If he finds out I am within you, he will take me from you, and I won't be able to teach you my magic."**_

'_What!?' _Romeo's eyes widened. '_Wait, you're inside me?' _The fire mage felt a sense of discomfort at this statement. He didn't remember giving Pyris access to his body.

"There's something I'd like to ask you."

"Huh?!" the young boy shrieked, now focusing on the old man he apparently shouldn't be trusting.

"The Connells told me they found you in the center of the temple, but they didn't find much else." A calm smile continued to grace Hisao's face as he approached the younger mage. "Tell me, did _you _see anything while you were there?"?"

"Uh, no-not-not really," Romeo stuttered out.

Hisao's face drooped. He stepped away from the boy, keeping his back towards him. "Really? Not even, say-" He spun back around, staring down Romeo in the same way a dramatic lawyer would stare down the defendant in one of those dramatic lawyer shows. "-a glowing blue crystal egg?!"

Romeo gave a nervous chuckle. "Nope! Didn't see anything like that." He grinned, praying to whatever god that would listen that Hisao believed him.

The mayor frowned. He narrowed his eyes, examining the boy. "Hmmmmm…" he groaned, "Very well."

Romeo sighed in relief. "Is that all you have to ask?"

"Not quite." His stern voice caused Romeo's face to fall. "You told the Connells you saw a woman with heterochromia. Do you know what happened to her?"

The fire mage shook his head and shrugged. For the first time in this conversation, he told the truth. "No, I don't."

Hisao narrowed his eyes at the boy, as though he were trying to peer into the child's mind. "Okay then," he sighed, loosening his expression, "I'm sorry for interrogating you like this. It's just that there's something in that temple." His face turned dark. "Something that must never, _ever, _be allowed to leave. So hearing that it's no longer there is rather… troubling."

"Papa! Papa!" a girl's voice called. Romeo saw something purple fly past the room through the door's window.

The old gave a somber laugh. "My daughter." He looked to the door. "She must've gotten out of school early. Someone probably told her I was here."

A young, purple-haired girl in a frilly light blue dress with fairy wings stapled to the back barged into the room. She grabbed onto the elderly man's robe and began tugging on it. "Papa! You wouldn't believe what we did in school today!" Her mouth opened in preparation to ramble on about her day's events, but then her eyes caught sight of the boy sitting in the hospital bed. Any words she might've had were lost as a strange feeling toiled within her.

Romeo, likewise, was also somewhat transfixed by the girl's arrival. It wasn't out of any fondness he had for the girl; he was far too young for that. In fact, it was almost the exact _opposite _type of feeling. That feeling you get where you look at someone and know you won't like them, despite not knowing them. But stranger than that was the feeling that he _did _know her. Where or when from, however, he had no idea.

Yet Hisao seemed oblivious to all of this. "Yes, my dear Juliet, I'm sure it was a wonderful time." He looked back up at Romeo. "Romeo, this is Juliet," he introduced the girl, giving her a little nudge, "Say 'hi, Romeo.'"

Juliet shook herself from her daze. "H-Hi, Romeo," she muttered. She'd taken to standing behind Hisao, using his robe to obscure as much of herself as possible while still trying (but ultimately failing) to act like she wasn't hiding from the boy.

"H-hey," Romeo spoke. Having shaken himself from his daze, he began to notice a lot more about Juliet. Namely how she appeared to be his age, and how she looked absolutely nothing like her father. _'Is she adopted?__' _Romeo asked himself, feeling like it'd be a rude thing to ask out loud. But somehow, he felt he knew the answer already.

Hisao patted the girl on the head. "Alright, dear, I suppose it's time for us to be heading home. We don't want to keep Romeo here too long, either." Walking his daughter over to the door and opening it, he said, "The hospital said you were clear to leave once you woke up, so you should go join the Connells once you feel up to it."

Romeo nodded. "O-okay." He lifted himself out of the hospital bed and walked over to Hisao, who was holding the door for him.

When he was at the door, he asked, "Why can't that thing leave the temple?"

"That is…" Hisao turned away, his face once again turning dark. "...Something a child should not concern himself over."

Romeo didn't respond, and merely contemplated Hisao's words. The boy didn't understand what had happened between Hisao and Pyris, nor why the old man would seal the Phoenix away. He wondered who the one he should really trust was.

Alzack's and Bisca's voices broke his train of thought. He saw the two of them waving at him, signaling for him to go to them. He took one last look at Hisao's somber face, then ran over to his friend. Together, they left the hospital.

Hisao kept his eyes on Romeo as he left. His granddaughter had already found him and latched herself around his waist. He looked down at her smiling face and placed a hand on her purple hair. "I certainly hope you weren't lying to me just now, Romeo," he whispered to himself.

"For all our sakes."

* * *

Meanwhile, back with Romeo and the Connells, they were planning on getting the next train out of the city. After all of the day's excitement, they were ready to head back home and rest. Thankfully they weren't going home empty-handedHisao had been generous enough to pay them for their time, though a lot of it had gone into Romeo's hospital bill.

But Romeo didn't care much about the money—not that he was going to see it anyway. He'd gotten something much better. He found a teacher who'll give him an unbelievable power, with which he can save Fairy Tail!

Speaking of…

_So, you wanna tell me what all that was about?' _The boy asked, sparing a glance at the hospital.

A sigh echoed in the boy's head. "_**Hisao was an… old acquaintance," **_the Phoenix explained, "_**But one day he betrayed me, and locked me away in that temple."**_

'_Oh…' _Romeo looked down at the ground. '_I'm sorry. I didn't mean to-'_

"_**It's quite alright," **_Pyris assured, "_**Though I would prefer it if we didn't talk about it."**_

Romeo nodded, though since no one else knew he was talking to someone, it just looked like his neck twitched. '_Of course.'_

Silence followed, but only for a moment. There were still a few more things on Romeo's mind.

'_Hey Pyris, what did you mean when you said you were "inside me'?'" _he asked the Phoenix.

"_**First off, 'inside' technically isn't the correct word," **_Pyris corrected. "_**It implies that I'm inhabiting a physical space, when in reality that simply isn't true. Rather, I've given up my physical body in order to bind my soul to yours."**_

'_You gave up your body?!' _Romeo screamed in his head, stopping in his tracks. Alzack and Bisca asked if anything was wrong, and after reassuring them and telling them he was fine, they all continued to the train station.

Pyris groaned at his disciple's display. "_**Yes, though it is not as serious as you may think. Bodies for Phoenixes are like clothing to humans. When the time comes that I'll have to separate from you, I'll simply get a new one."**_

'_Oh, okay,' _Romeo thought, '_And, uh, what happened to that woman? The one in the temple?'_

Once again, silence followed, though this one felt much heavier than the last. It was only once the group arrived at the train station that Pyris answered him.

"_**That is something you are… better off not thinking about, for now, anyway."**_

* * *

**In the Temple**

A body, charred and mangled, laid restlessly on the stone floor.

Her fingers twitched, then her hand, then her whole arm as she fought herself for control of the limb. As she moved, bits and pieces of burnt flesh fell from her body in the form of ash, slowly being replaced by brand new flesh.

She used the barely healed limb to prop herself up just enough for her to sit against the nearby wall. Looking to her legs, she saw more red flesh growing there. It seemed that her whole body had been caught in the blast.

A shame, really, since she rather liked that body.

The fact she could see meant she already had her eyes back. Though she didn't have a mirror, she knew her eyes were silver and gold. But the gold one rarely ever functioned properly, and the silver one functioned a bit _too _well.

She knew if she did have a mirror, she'd be seeing herself in a sorry state. If her limbs were any indication, then it would be a while before she was fully restored. She probably won't even get her skin back for another couple hours.

But she supposed that was fine. There was no need to rush, for she had all the time in the world.

A sinister grin spread across newly formed lips, for the same could not be said for Pyris.

* * *

**Yeah, so, first major difference in this from the original: Pyris got some enemies.**

**This was betaed by Iket45, so big thanks to him.**

**Please be sure to favorite and follow if you enjoyed it, and no matter what you felt about it please leave a review. Reviews help me understand what I do right and wrong, so leaving one is always appreciated.**


	3. Forest For The Trees

**Thank you to Iket45 for beta-ing this.**

**And thank you to all of my followers, and thank you to Angron, Artofnerdistry, Augustas Autumns, Drsquirtle, Formulaic01, ForstWolf Fenrir, Greg27, Iria Stars, Jakob Silverheart, MaidenOfTheSky334, Phys09, SomeGuyLovinLife, chaosphoenix123, kevin. , lokiwinners, and JasonWills2019 for favoriting and reviewing.**

* * *

**Forest For The Trees**

**4 Years Later; x790;**

The teenage boy sprinted through the forest, leaping over every boulder and fallen tree in his way in order to evade his pursuer. But he knew he couldn't run for long. Soon enough he'd be caught, and then he was in for hell.

His bare feet _slap_ped against the dirt at a breakneck pace, staining baggy azure pants that were tied closes around his ankles. He breathed heavily through a dark blue cloth half-mask, which covered his neck all the way down to his sleeveless, black skin-tight shirt which outlined his abs. Dragging behind him was a white trimmed azure gi that he'd tied around his waist, and his signature orange scarf.

His charcoal eyes saw that he was approaching a much denser part of the forest. He glanced backward; no sign of his pursuer, but that didn't mean they weren't close. He threw his hands, clothed in elbow-length gloves that covered his middle fingers, behind him. A blue aura formed around his body and his spiky dark purple hair began to produce little azure sparks.

His speed increases dramatically. The world around him started to turn into a blur of greens and browns, but it just as quickly came back into focus. With a burst of blue flame from his feet, he jumped up into the tree branches. Graceful as a dancer, he leaped from branch to branch, trying to create as much distance between himself and his hunter as possible.

* * *

"_**Your bones have lost density, meaning that you will be much more agile than the average human," **__the dark blue bird explained, _"_**Paired with your enhanced eyesight, you'll be able to perform acrobatic feats no ordinary human is capable of."**_

* * *

_CRACK!_

The sound of trees falling in the distance caught his attention. Taking another glance backward, he saw a total of five azure missiles chasing after him. The first four he dodged with relative ease, but the fifth managed to hit his side, burning away the thin cloth that covered it.

But the boy hardly even noticed. Blue flames appeared around the rip, covering it before fading away, revealing the garment to be good as new.

* * *

"_**This shall be the outfit you train in," **__the phoenix stated, gesturing to a pile of torn-up blue clothes._

"_This?" the child asked in disbelief._

_The bird nodded. _"_**I understand that it may not look like much, but trust me when I say that it is the best armor a Phoenix Slayer could wear. Please, try to pour some of your Phoenix Slayer Magic into it."**_

_The child sighed. "Alright." With a reluctant hand, he summoned what little Phoenix magic he could and poured it into the clothes._

_Light spread through the ripped clothes. They melded and shifted, transforming into serpents of flame that wrapped themselves around the child. He was too stunned to move, but when he could, he saw that he was wrapped in an entirely new outfit._

"_**This garment bonds itself to its wearer's soul and conforms itself to their will. It also possesses self-repair features, so there is no need to worry about it being damaged during a fight."**_

* * *

The boy knew he would reach a clearing very soon. Grinning beneath his mask, he increased his speed once again, no longer needing branches as he could just bounce his feet off the sides of the trees' trunks. Like a blue comet, he flew through the forest sky.

His final jump sent him high over the clearing. Twisting in mid-air, he summoned his weapon: a golden bow, shaped like a pair of eagle wings. He pulled the bowstring back, and three arrows like bird beaks took form. Indigo lit up the tips of his arrows, A hidden smirk crossed his face as he released them.

* * *

"_**Like your new clothing, your weapon will also bind itself to you, and take the form you desire it to." **__The Phoenix pointed his wing at a beat-up katana._

_The child didn't hesitate this time. He poured his magic into the blade and watched in awe as it transformed into a bow._

"_**An archer, hm? Perhaps that's good. Phoenix Slayers lack long-range capabilities, so maybe becoming an archer wouldn't be such a bad idea. And with your newly enhanced eyesight **__**and**_ _**colored flames, who knows what you could be capable of with that."**_

* * *

_BOOM!_

Indigo erupted through the treetops, incinerating the forest tops and bringing down several of the mighty oaks that once stood proud. The boy felt guilty about desecrating what was once his favorite place to play, but if it meant losing the one chasing after him, he'd burn the whole forest.

However, it seemed as though his arrows did nothing but slow his pursuer down. He floated down to the ground and dispersed his weapon. He should've known running would be futile. Bare feet back on the grass, he reluctantly decided to stand his ground.

His follower burst forth from the forest, bringing down several trees in his path. Locking eyes with the boy, he dived right at him.

The boy fell to the ground, just barely dodging in time. His opponent flew right over his head, but he glanced back just in time to see him make his return. The mask around his face vanished as he sprung back up and screamed, "_**Fire Phoenix's Screech!"**_

A beam of condensed blue flames shot at his opponent, who simply glided to the right. Grunting, the boy lit his foot up in azure flame, following up his last attack with a "_**Fire Phoenix's Talons!"**_

His swift kick cuts through the air and his opponent's cheek. His adversary crashes onto the ground, forming a dent within the soft earth.

However, the beast picks himself up with ease. The flap of its mighty azure wings blows away all nearby foliage. His avian body, seemingly composed entirely of blue flames, radiates a heat that could rival the sun. Slitted eyes look down upon the boy from past his razor-sharp beak, equally razor-sharp talons primed to tear him limb from limb.

He inhales sharply, then blasts the boy with a similar jet of blue flames. But unlike Romeo's _**Screech**_, this one hits its mark, sending the boy flying into a nearby tree.

Blue flames light up around the boy's clothes and wounds. Like it does to the cloth around his body, the blue flames mend the child's seared flesh, restoring it to its original tan color. His head injury, received upon impact with the tree, seals up. The only evidence that he was ever injured was the few drops of red scattered across the boy's skin.

* * *

"_**Finally, the Phoenix's most useful survival mechanism: our healing. With your newfound healing factor, you'll be able to restore entire limbs in mere moments!" **__the Phoenix screeched, but then turned serious._

"_**But be careful. Though you can heal yourself significantly better than the average human, that doesn't mean you can't be fatally wounded. You are still very much mortal."**_

* * *

And Romeo was starting to feel that mortality right now. Staring down the massive fire beast in front of him, he knew his time was limited.

"_**Romeo…" **_his ancient voice spoke, and the boy gulped.

Even with miles upon miles of forest for him to escape into, Romeo found himself unable to run. Exhaustion and fear had long since turned his legs into jelly. Now he was nothing more than a sitting duck in the beast's crosshairs.

"P-please…" the boy begged, getting onto his hands and knees and groveling.

"Please! No more training today, Pyris! I'm begging you!"

Pointed eyes glared into the boy's soul. After what felt like an eternity to the child, a reluctant sigh escaped Pyris' lips. "**Very well." **He smiled.

Romeo collapsed on the ground. His body spread out across the dirt, heavily enjoying the sensation of the cool earth on his skin. "Oh thank gods!" he gasped.

The giant bird chuckled, flying above the boy and shrinking down to the size of a parrot. "**Oh come on, it wasn't that bad."**

The boy lifted his head up to glare at the phoenix. "You made me run around the perimeter of Magnolia Forest! _Fifty times!_"

"**You survived, didn't you?" **Pyris laughed, "**Besides, with the exception of this little skirmish, you did quite well."**

Romeo groaned. "Yeah, well you try fighting after dealing with all that bullshit."

"**I never said that this would be easy for you, did I?"**

"No…" Romeo let out an exasperated sigh.

"**Exactly." **The phoenix nodded. "**You knew from the start that learning my magic wouldn't be easy. You're the one who chose this path."**

Romeo frowned. "Yeah, yeah." His back thumped against the tree he crashed into. He balled his hands into fists, and his hair cast shadows over his eyes.

"**Hm?" **the phoenix questioned, "**What's wrong?"**

"Nothing…" the boy sighed, "It's just… I have this magic, but I can't actually _use _it!" He threw his hands in the air. "I have to keep it a secret from everybody. Even my family, the people I wanted to learn this magic _for_."

"**I understand that it may seem pointless," **Pyris admitted, "**But trust me when I say that there will come a time when you'll be able to use that magic as you please. I simply wish for you to be prepared for anyone who may hunt you down for using it."**

Romeo raised an eyebrow. "What? Like the people who locked you away?"

Pyris nodded. "**You never know who you can trust in this world, so it's best to be prepared for the worst."**

"Yeah, alright," Romeo groaned as he began his long trudge back to Magnolia with Pyris flying behind him. Along the way, he grabbed a drink from within a running stream. For as well as his healing could take care of his injuries, it did little to nothing for his exhaustion. He had to take a break several times when walking back simply because he was too tired to keep going.

Roughly an hour later, the boy and the bird made it to the edge of the forest. Romeo was relieved to finally get back home and rest, but Pyris wasn't as excited as he was. The phoenix visibly tensed, and Romeo, being linked with him, sensed it. Pyris quickly flew at the boy, phasing and seemingly disappearing into his body.

"What's up?" the boy asked.

"_**There's someone standing just outside this forest" **_Pyris answered from within the teenager's mind, "_**I'm unsure who, but it's possible that they've been spying on us this whole time. Stay on your guard."**_

Heeding Pyris' warning, Romeo carefully inched towards the forest's exit. He caught the silhouette of someone leaning up against a tree, outlined by the light of the setting sun. The figure was hard to make out at first, but as he moved closer, he realized _exactly _who he was looking at.

He wasn't sure if he should've been surprised or furious about it.

Leaning against the tree, clad in her usual long sleeved yellow top, jean shorts, thigh high black stockings, sneakers, and the large green beanie she used to cover her short, ash brown hair was his old best friend. She must've heard him approach because her golden eyes were locked right onto him.

The two said nothing for a while. An awkward silence permeated the air, broken only by the faint rustle of leaves and the slight pitter-patter of forest creatures running across the ground. They were as still as statues, unable to move for fear of making the wrong one. Until finally, Romeo spoke;

"Lindsey?"

The girl looked like she was gasping for air. What she wanted to say was right on the tip of her tongue, it just wouldn't make that final leap into being spoken words. So instead she groaned, clenching her fists and aggressively turning away from him. "Yeah, yeah, big surprise!" she said through clenched teeth.

"I mean, considering how you haven't spoken to me in four years…" Romeo drawled, putting his hands in his pockets, "Yeah, kinda is."

"Well…" She frowned before grimacing. "Well, it's not _my_ fault you won't let go of your failure of a guild!" She turned back to glare at him.

A tic mark appeared on Romeo's forehead. "Oh, _really?!" _He glared back. "Wow! You're right! Twilight Ogre is just _soooo _much better," he yelled, sarcasm dripping from his voice, "Who wouldn't want to be in a guild full of _extortionists?!"_

Lindsey gasped. "They're not- They-" She gripped her bangs, groaning to herself before exploding at the boy. "_We're_ the ones helping your guild stay afloat!"

"Wow, you joined Lamia Scale?" Romeo asked, "Gee, when did this happen?" He batted his eyes.

Lindsey growled. Face red, her body was visibly shaking. She let out a sigh like it was a breath of fire. "You're still just as annoying as ever," she said, as she started to walk away.

"This was a mistake," she whispered.

"What was a mistake?"

Lindsey turned her head back to see a genuinely curious boy. "Nothing, I…" She fidgeted with her arms a little and only then did Romeo notice the slight bruising hidden beneath her sleeves. "I gotta go." And she took off.

"Lindsey, wait!" Romeo called after her, but she was already gone.

* * *

**And here we go, a nice little training/battle thing to outline some of Romeo's skills, powers, and tools. He does obviously have more spells and tricks under his sleeves, but I think those will be better saved for something I have planned in the future.**

**Thank you all for reading. I hope you enjoyed it. Please be sure to Follow, Favorite, and Review!**


	4. Tension

**(Posted 8/1/2020)**

**So I've messed around with the pairing in this story a little bit. At first, there was no pairing, then it was RomeoXMavisXWendy, and now, as you can probably see in the description, it's RomeoXMavis. For now, that is going to be the final pairing. Admittedly, I am still trying to get a feel for how this story is going to go, so that _could _potentially change in the future. I have thought of possibly having this be a RomeoXLindsey story, but for now I am sticking with RomeoXMavis.**

**As far as how that ship will even work considering that Mavis is still a ghost at this point in the timeline... well, that I _do _have a plan for.**

**Thank you to everyone who has followed, favorited, and/or left a review for this story. It truly does mean a lot to me. I also want to thank you guys for your patience since I know I haven't updated this in a while (basically 3 years in 2020 time). I have been working on other stories and trying to focus on general real-world stuff as well, but I am hoping to at least get more consistent with updating my stories. **

**I'd also like to thank chaosphoenix123 for helping me out with this chapter. Please be sure to check out his stuff after reading this. He also writes Romeo-centered stories that're definitely worth giving a look.**

**With all that said, I hope you enjoy.**

* * *

**Tension**

Romeo wasn't sure what to make of his old best friend's sudden appearance. There was something… _off _about her that he just couldn't understand.

He supposed it might be best not to focus too much on the matter. _She _had been the reason their relationship ended, after all. _She _was the one who called his guild weak and pathetic. Why should _he _give a damn about whatever problems she may be having now?

The past is the past, he reminded himself. It's best to let it go and move on to the future.

**_"A good philosophy,_**_"_ Pyris stated, _"_**_If interpreted in the entirely wrong way…"_**

"Shut up," Romeo whispered back. There weren't many people walking around Magnolia at this time, but he still didn't want people to notice him talking to himself.

It was getting late, so he was on his way back to the guildhall. His dad wouldn't be passed out yet by this time, so he had a little while before he'd have to literally drag the man back home.

Romeo grumbled, "How'd she even find me? I _always _make sure no one's following me when I go to train." He shoved his hands into his pockets.

**_"Ehhhhh," _**Pyris shrugged. **_"'_Always' _is a bit of a stretch." _**

"She didn't even say anything to me," the boy continued to rant, "All she did was insult Fairy Tail _yet again _before just… running off!"

**_"You didn't exactly give her much room to speak."_**

A breath of fire escaped Romeo's mouth. _"Whatever." _His hand flew from out of his pocket. "It's _whatever! _I shouldn't even care about this! About _her! _Why even bother?"

Pyris gave a faux nod. **_"You know, for someone who says they don't care, you seem to care a lot."_**

Romeo glared. Though, since Pyris was in his head, he didn't actually have anything to glare at. This resulted in him looking really weird to the people passing by around him. But those people just shrugged it off upon seeing the Fairy Tail mark emblazoned on his shoulder.

The two of them kept walking along the streets of Magnolia in silence. The sun was setting, casting a brilliant orange hue to the night sky. Romeo always found the time of day to be beautiful; both sunrise and sunset were pleasing to him in ways he couldn't explain.

The boy glanced to the side, and his walking slowed to a halt. The large, empty, castle-like structure's shadow loomed over him. He could remember all of the good times he had in that old guildhall. All of the bad ones, too.

_'Where did it all go wrong?' _he wondered.

He continued on his way. Leaving the perimeters of Magnolia, he trudged through grassy fields and up the hill to the old shack that served as his new guildhall. Or rather, new to everyone _but him_, since he wasn't an official guild member until the guild had to move to this dumpy cabin. Him getting his guild mark was the last time _anyone _ever joined this guild.

Stepping through the doors, he saw his guildmates. The thirty or so mages all sat glumly at their tables, void of the enthusiasm they possessed six years ago. Given how empty the place was, you'd think most of them were out on jobs. And maybe that _would_ be the case if they actually got any. But no, for the most part, this was all there was. The Connells were out, as were Laki and Max, but apart from them, this was it. A few people greeted the boy on the way in, but they were all half-hearted "hi" s and "hello" s.

This caught Romeo's attention. Looking around the room, he could see that everyone appeared more downcast than usual. Sure, it was _usually _pretty dull around here, but everyone was still _somewhat _friendly to one another. Perhaps he missed something?

Just going off the knot in his stomach, he could probably guess what it was.

He found his dad sitting off in his usual corner, Wakaba patting him on the back as he downs another drink.

The old man hardly even notices his son approaching. His best friend had to nudge him a little for him to take his focus on his drink. The two seemingly have an entire conversation in silence, with Wakaba nodding his head towards Romeo and Macao shaking his head lightly. Eventually, though, the dark blue-haired man's shoulders drop. He turns his head slightly towards his son, not enough to show his whole face, but just enough for the boy to notice the bruising over his eye.

Macao turned away again. "Heya, Romeo," he says in what little enthusiasm he can scrounge up, "How's training going?" Despite his tone, he was genuinely curious. His son's skill as a mage had been growing exponentially for the last few years, enough to the point where the boy single-handedly started to draw some business back to the guild.

The man wasn't really sure how his son accomplished this. He tried asking his son about it, but all the boy ever told him was that he was "training." But the training seemed to be working for him, so Macao just shrugged that off. Romeo was a teenager, after all. He was allowed to keep his secrets so long as they didn't get him in trouble.

Romeo didn't say anything. His hands shook, and he could feel his fire burning within him and itching to get out. Any suspicions he had before about the guild's mood were all but confirmed now.

"Twilight Ogre was here."

His father sighed. "Yep."

"What happened?"

Letting out another breath, the old man turned around to fully face his son. "They came asking for money again," he explained, "But we didn't have enough to give them. The guild's budget is nearly dry, and it wasn't like we could all pay out of pocket. Everyone here needs that money to pay their bills. We tried to explain that to them…" He paused.

"And did they take that money?" Romeo asked.

Macao shook his head. "No... not yet." He slumped back over the counter. "But, they'll probably be back."

"But they already got their damn money!" the Phoenix Slayer yelled, "We paid them this month so they'd fuck the hell off!"

"Language, young man," Macao half-heartedly scolded. But who was he kidding? The boy's been in the guild so long it was hard to believe that "fuck" wasn't his first word.

Romeo seethed. He balled up his fists as his magic burned through his body. It was surprising that his body didn't just ignite right then and there.

"What happened afterwards?" he asked.

Macao looked down at his drink. "They left without taking anything, but said they'd be back in a week to collect what we owe them."

The boy slammed his fist on the counter. "Dammit!" he yelled. "Why didn't you do anything about it?! You're the guildmaster! You're supposed to be the one in charge here!" He watched his father's head sink back down. Feeling several eyes on him, he turned to the other members of the guild.

"Oh, don't give me those looks!" Romeo glared. "Did you even do _anything _when they attacked my dad, your _guildmaster?!" _Each of their gazes fell away from him. "Exactly! Look at you all!" The boy gestured around the room. "You're all just a bunch of damn cowards!"

"_Ch_," Jet scoffed, "Like you'd be any better in that situation?"

Romeo sent a piercing glare in his direction. "_I _wouldn't tuck my tail between my legs while one of our family got _assaulted!_"

The Speed Mage rolled his eyes. "Easy for you to say." He turned away from the boy. "Not like you were actually there."

With that, he simply let the conversation end. Romeo could tell that he was still pissed about it, though. All of them were. But unlike before, where if anyone was angry at another guild member, they'd have no problem starting a brawl with them, they all just stewed in their anger in silence. None of them possessed the will to fight anymore.

The young mage fumed at the sight. A sudden urge to just set this whole damn place ablaze welled within him. After all, what difference would it make? Fairy Tail had long since burned to the ground. They were just playing in the ashes now.

A hand on the boy's shoulder caught his attention. He turned back towards his father, who was now looking down on him. "Romeo, why don't you go on a job for a few days?" the tired man asked, "You haven't been on one in a while, and I think you need to clear your head."

Macao gestured towards the guild's job board. "We got a few new jobs this morning. Might be some you're interested in."

The boy huffed. Seeing that no one was going to listen to him _yet again_, he stomped over to the guild's job board.

Most of the jobs the guild got nowadays were pretty low-stakes. Watching over some animals, assisting teachers with their classes, helping out local businesses. It wasn't that Romeo _minded _these types of jobs; it was a guild mage's job to help _everybody_, after all. However, low stakes jobs also meant _low-paying _jobs, and money was something the guild was desperate for at the moment.

Maybe there's at least a monster-hunting job he can do? Those usually gave a decent pay, and he'd get the added bonus of being able to fight something and get his frustrations out. And if the monster he was fighting lived in a secluded area, he'd even be able to use his Phoenix Slayer Magic!

**_"You know, for magic you're supposed to keep secret, you get awfully eager to show it off," _**Pyris stated.

_'No shit,' _Romeo countered, _'The whole reason I _**_wanted _**_your magic in the first place was so I could help my guild!' _

After a minute of scanning the board, he grinned. A monster-hunting job! Takes place in some forest outside Veronica, too, so it was secluded and far away from here! Perfect!

Without reading much more about the job description, Romeo plucked it from the board and told his dad he'd be setting out in the morning.

Unbeknownst to any of them, someone had been observing them the whole time. The young-looking girl had been floated above the rafters, disappointed in what she saw from her guild. That was until she heard the boy speaking up. For so long, she thought that her guild members had lost their ways, but maybe...

Pupil-less emeralds paid rapt attention to the boy as he left. The spark of a plan lit within her eyes. With a hopeful smile, the Earthland-bound spirit followed him out the door.

* * *

**Yeah, tensions are running a bit high in Fairy Tail. **

**And _trust me_, Romeo doesn't care _at all _about why Lindsey suddenly showed up to him. _Nope. __Not at all. _**

**_(Bold italics indicate that a liar is speaking)_**

**Thank you all so much for reading! I really hope you enjoyed it. If you want, please be sure to favorite, follow, and review. Not like I can stop you if you don't.**

**And until next time, see ya!**


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